Sydney Madang Restaurant, Sydney

Korean barbecue is always an event of happy chaos.

First there's the lighting of the barbecue grill at the centre of the table. It usually doesn't take too long for the platters of raw marinated meats to arrive, then it's just an excruciating wait for the first round of meat to cook.

Somehow I always end up taking charge of the barbecue. Whether it's due to my maternal instincts or a happy relinquishment of responsibilities by everyone else, I'm not sure, although I suspect it's a combination of both.

In truth, the longest wait we endure tonight is for our table. Madang seems to be the hottest Korean bbq joint in town, as we join a patient queue of young students hovering by the garbage bins in the nondescript alleyway off Pitt Street. (no bookings are accepted on Friday and Saturday nights).

We finally get a table on the balcony outside, a good thing considering the amount of smoke that comes with any Korean barbecue.

The pan-chan complimentary side dishes are clattered down onto our table not long after our waitress hurries away with our order punched into her keypad.


Kimchee pan-chan


Rolled omelette pan-chan


Mung bean sprout salad pan-chan


Grated daikon pan-chan


Steamed broccoli pan-chan


Dweji Kimchijurn $18.00
Pork and kimchi pancake

The pork and kimchi pancake is thinner than I prefer, and I'm disappointed there aren't big chunks of kimchi buried within its golden surface. I love really crispy Korean pancakes but this one is a little doughy for my liking.


BBQ Modum $50.00
Combination of beef, pork, chicken and seafood

The BBQ Modum, a combination platter of beef, pork, chicken and seafood, arrives to plenty of oohs and ahhs. The bulgogi beef and chicken, marinated in a sweet soy mixture, is always a hit. The prawns are also large, fresh and tasty.


Tong Kimchi Tong $18.00
Pork belly marinated in wine with whole cabbage kimchi

Wine-marinated pork belly takes a while to caramelise, but after about twenty minutes the wait is worth it. Much of the fat has rendered out, leaving a charred and crunchy surface that contrasts with the sweet melting flesh within.

The accompanying whole cabbage kimchi has a wondrous fire to it, and would've been a good foil to the fattiness of the pork, except we polish it all off before the pork has even half-way cooked.


Woo Sul $13.00
Sliced ox tongue

Sliced ox tongue is a tasty delicacy. The thin shavings cook in a flash and impart earthy rich flavours on the tongue.



Our marinated whole octopus arrives in a aluminium foil package that we're instructed to deposit directly onto the barbecue. This effectively reduces our cooking surface by half and takes another patience-trying wait of about 15 minutes to cook.


Tong Ojinguh $15.00
Marinated whole octopus

It's time well spent. The octopus is the meal highlight. It's meltingly tender and drenched in a superbly thick spicy sauce. Scissors are provided to cut the octopus into manageable pieces and when the octopus is all gone we fight over the sauce to drench over our bowls of rice.

Everyone thinks I'm mad when I go to fry the lettuce leaves too, but all the leftover marinade on top of it seems far too good to waste. Besides, my mother does a very delicious stir-fry lettuce dish whenever there's a glut in the fridge.

It works. The lettuce leaves wilt to a gentle crunch, bathed in a sweet spicy sauce that converts even the skeptical into big happy smiles.



Sydney Madang Restaurant
371A Pitt St, Sydney
(entrance located down a small alleyway just north of Liverpool Street)
Tel: +61 (02) 9264 7010

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